


Reciprocation

by MulderWantsToBelieve



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, I Love You, MSR, Post-Episode: s06e03 Triangle, Triangle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 00:30:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20826356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MulderWantsToBelieve/pseuds/MulderWantsToBelieve
Summary: Mulder and Scully have a conversation about Mulder's confession.





	Reciprocation

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet. I love to watch them bicker. I don't own any of these characters sadly.

“Hey, Scully.”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“Oh brother,” she replied with an eye roll.

His stomach dropped. He hoped it wouldn’t show on his face as she turned and headed towards the door. Typical Scully. What other response should have I expected?

Mulder attempted to sink his head into the pillow but instead felt the dull ache from his eye. When giving it a slight touch, it stung with pain, but Mulder’s mind brought him back to his stolen kiss. He smiled at the resurfaced memory. He dwelled on it for a while, hazily remembering the way they fit together. The softness of her skin and lips. Her breathless gaze. Her fist meeting his face.

Maybe he shouldn’t have done it, he thought. After all, whether it was a dream or a real trip in dimensions and timelines, not-Scully was a real girl in some form or another. Then he watched as the real-Scully walked back into the room and thought maybe he should do it again.

“You’re not going home?” He asked.

“No, I went to the vending machine for a well-deserved candy bar because of the stressful call I got earlier today saying they caught a rare, 170-pound Mulder in the ocean.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ha. Ha.”

Scully gave him a mischievous smile and pulled up a chair next to him. Mulder laid back in his bed, staring up at the TV in the room. It was playing an old black and white show he couldn’t remember the name of. He was only half paying attention to the TV and half distracted by the sound of Scully’s candy bar wrapper.

“Scully, can I have some of your candy bar?”

“Absolutely not,” she replied, mouth half-full.

“Please, Scully, this is a hospital. They’re going to make me eat canned chicken noodle soup and jello. I hate jello. Spare me.”

“Should’ve thought about that before going deep sea fishing.”

He grinned at her comedic reply. Mulder then tried settling more into the bed, but his whole body felt weak and sore. Pangs of regret and guilt filled him as he found a more comfortable position, being reminded of his foolish decision with every movement. He thought maybe Scully was upset with him for running off like that.

Then he thought of the words he said a few minutes ago. _I love you_. The air felt tense.

Was she upset about that? Did she not think he meant it? He did mean it. Romantic feelings aside, how could he not after all they’ve been through? Is it because she doesn’t feel the same?

“Is it wrong for me to say that I love you?” He questioned, turning his head towards her.

Scully stayed silent for a moment. She looked up at him, chewing, with eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

“Like, is it weird, that in all this time together, we have never once looked each other in the eyes and said an honest, from the heart ‘I love you’?”

There was another pause.

“I guess I don’t think to,” Scully replied. “Even then, what would warrant me to think to say something so intimate?” She took another bite. Another typical Scully response.

“Intimate? Don’t you think we’ve reached a point where we would have at least exchanged some sort of resemblance of friendly affection? That it isn’t entirely out of place to say?”

She swallowed her bite and said, “Is saying 'I love you’ something that’s entirely friendly?”

“Langly, Frohike, and Byers say it to me all the time. In fact, they go out of their way to tell me. I guess it’s made me realize... why have I not been so pursuant to let those around me become aware of my affections?” Mulder began. “A-and as humans are we to be so cold and insectile towards one another because we are considered a 'partnership’? Is life just a collection of titles and statuses and boundaries? Is it not a natural human reaction to feel an ounce of affection for the person you’ve known for years, fought alongside, and sacrificed for?”

“Cold and insectile?” Scully repeated his words with raised eyebrows.

“Is there another way to describe it? Creatures existing without having the instinct to love and be loved? Tell me I’m wrong.”

“I guess you’re not entirely wrong, Mulder, but perhaps there are those that cannot receive love as you give it, and do not reciprocate.”

“Do _you_ not reciprocate?”

Scully’s poise wavered slightly as she sucked in a sharpened breath.

“I won’t deny my natural feelings towards our relationship. A feeling of wanting to protect, to defend… to doctor, to comfort. But I also believe these are just characteristics of my personality, and anyone around me is susceptible to its effects.”

“So, every time you contribute to, let’s say, the emotional side of our relationship, I am only receiving the effects of these innate characteristics. This is just your natural disposition toward anybody,” Mulder goaded.

“Well, not everybody, of course. And for some people these characteristics are shown with more intention and intimacy. And because you are my partner, I would have to say there is an elevated sense of that,” she admitted.

“I love you too, Scully.”

She became visibly frustrated and stood up as Mulder chuckled.

“Alright, my candy bar is gone and visiting hours are almost over so I’m actually leaving now,” she stated.

Grabbing her small bag, she started to turn away. He continued to chuckle but reached for her arm to keep her from going.

Mulder lowered his tone to a slightly more serious one “Hey, Scully.”

Scully turned her attention to him. He released his hold on her arm to offer his hand instead. She held it firmly and surrendered a small smile. He caught her eyes and beamed up at her.

“I’m glad you’re my partner,” he said, sincerity in his voice.

She nodded, her smile remaining. She held her gaze with him for a moment before bending down and giving him a small kiss on his black eye.

“And I’m glad you’re not fish food.”


End file.
